A day on Mars—or a "sol"—is 24 hours and 40 minutes long, close enough to Earth's that for a long time NASA didn't think much of it. But those 40 minutes a day add up, and sleep scientists now worry that our Earthly circadian rhythms could be one more major headache for the first humans on Mars. »2/26/15 2:45pm Thursday 2:45pm

When Curiosity goes looking for organic molecules in Mars's solid surface, it vaporizes a rock sample and sniffs the gas that comes out. The plan could be going awry thanks to a pesky little mineral called jarosite. »2/20/15 2:30pm 2/20/15 2:30pm

Astronomers have been unable to explain the sudden but fleeting appearance of massive plumes high up in the Martian atmosphere. Rising to altitudes of over 155 miles (250 km), these hazy structures are forcing scientists to re-evaluate what they know about the Martian atmosphere. »2/17/15 11:29am 2/17/15 11:29am

Mars One is the program that's planning on sending four humans on a one-way trip to Mars to establish a human colony. Applications are in, a shortlist has been made, and all that's left to do is um fly to Mars, build a colony, and die a lonely death among the stars. The Guardian has asked a few of the colonist… »2/09/15 9:21pm 2/09/15 9:21pm

Do you see it? That incredibly tiny dot in the center of that blue perimeter. That is NASA's $2.5 billion rover, steadily working away and analyzing the Martian soil. This image was captured on Dec. 13, 2014 by the HiRISE camera housed inside NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. »2/08/15 7:00pm 2/08/15 7:00pm

The brave men and women living in a (mock) Martian base (in Utah), have met a (mock) brutal and fiery end. After an (actual) greenhouse fire sent flames soaring up 10 feet into the air, our (mock) astronauts have been laid to rest (in their respective homes as they see fit). Goodbye and godspeed, you magnificent… »1/28/15 1:30pm 1/28/15 1:30pm

Eleven years ago today—in fact, at this very minute (12:05 am ET)—NASA's Opportunity rover touched down on Mars for what was supposed to be a 90-day mission. Since then, Opportunity has proven to be an engineering marvel by traveling almost 26 miles on the Martian surface, more than any other off-Earth surface vehicle. »1/25/15 12:05am 1/25/15 12:05am

During the State of the Union address, President Obama said stirring things about human spaceflight and the future. But these are the same dreams we've been talking about for years, and without more funding for NASA these dreams will fizzle instead of coming true. »1/20/15 11:44pm 1/20/15 11:44pm

Welcome to Reading List. Another year and another week means another roundup of great stories that might have squeaked by during the holiday. We've got some speculative doom and gloom, a look into the future of one of NASA's Mars rovers, and a profile of a man who is clickbait personified. Happy New Year and happy… »1/04/15 2:00pm 1/04/15 2:00pm

There are myriad reasons why getting from Earth to Mars is hard, but chief among them are two 1) the massive amount of fuel needed and 2) a launch window that is limited to every 26 months, when the two planets are in optimal alignment. A couple of mathematicians have calculated a new path to Mars that solves both—and…»12/23/14 4:25pm 12/23/14 4:25pm

NASA's Orion spacecraft, designed to ferry the first humans to Mars, lifts off from Cape Canaveral on Friday morning. Orion reached speeds of 20,ooo mph and traveled 3,600 miles from Earth before a successful splashdown in the Pacific. [Bill Ingalls/NASA] »12/07/14 12:45pm 12/07/14 12:45pm